With its blend of mythology, suspense, and mystery, this novel is engaging and atmospheric--as long as listeners can suspend disbelief and dive into the engaging narration. Penelope Rawlins shifts expertly between the past and present timeframes of the story. She also creates believable distinctions between the two primary characters--DS Joanna Harper and her estranged daughter, Ruby--as well as an assortment of supporting characters. Two storylines unfold simultaneously: Ruby collects her friend's young daughter, who was apparently abandoned by her mother when she left to join her selkie family. At the same time, Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found nearly dead in his apartment, and Joanna leads the investigation into what happened. As the stories become intertwined, Rawlins provides a nuanced and thought-provoking delivery.
Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781666520941
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Outstanding suspense, gripping narration, and a highly topical premise.
A page-turner of the highest quality gets the star treatment it deserves. Mackintosh, queen of the thrilling plot twist, knocks it out of the park in this riveting production, brought to life by a quartet of outstanding vocal talents: Richard Armitage, Samuel Barnett, Tuppence Middleton, and Vineeta Rishi. From the moment Nadeeka arrives home to find police at the door and her boyfriend on the carpet, covered in blood, the listener is swept up into an intricately plotted political thriller where nothing is what it appears. As the story is told from four points of view, the suspense never lets up, and each well-voiced character is forced to confront, or reveal, the horrifying truth.
Outstanding suspense, gripping narration, and a highly topical premise.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 31 mins
DD ISBN: 9781464297335
Publisher: Sourcebooks Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
This quirky audiobook is both profoundly nonsensical and nonsensically profound.
In an impassioned voice, narrator Kimberly Wetherell tells the surreal, offbeat story of Dinah, a self-absorbed Vermont woman who is unable to process reality. She is fixated on her adolescence, bears, creatures of the night, various rules and codes of conduct, and fairy tales. Most of all she is haunted by memories of Rex, the charismatic but manipulative leader of the Nobodies, a group of vigilante teens, including Dinah, whoonce meted out punishment to bullies. Twenty years later, Dinah returns to her hometown to solve a mystery. What follows are riveting suspense, mystical revelations, and talking bears and cats. Wetherell makes one really hear Dinah, even if understanding her proves challenging.
This quirky audiobook is both profoundly nonsensical and nonsensically profound.Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 35 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657041
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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